Easy Classic Popovers Recipe
Classic Popovers are easy and fun to make. It’s a light and airy roll that puffs beautifully when baked. They will let out a burst of steamy air when you break them open.
These rolls remind me of a cream puff without the filling. The texture is so similar. I’m sharing a step-by-step tutorial on how to make easy classic popovers, one of my favorite breakfast treats!
When I saw this recipe in my great-grandmother’s vintage cookbook, I had to try it. I followed the recipe from the late 1800s exactly, but I did add a tsp of vanilla to the batter. I love them served warm with homemade jam, so a hint of vanilla was a great addition.
There is a quote from one of my favorite children’s authors about popovers ” “My uncle ordered popovers from the restaurant’s bill of fare. And, when they were served, he regarded them with a penetrating stare. Then he spoke great words of wisdom as he sat there on that chair: “To eat these things,” said my uncle, “You must exercise great care. You may swallow down what’s solid, but you must spit out the air!”― Dr. Seuss
You should definitely try these popovers with my Homemade Strawberry Jam (made without refined sugar) or Strawberry Freezer Jam. So good!
How To Make Popovers
(recipe from Table, Home, and Health cookbook 1892)
The Original Vintage Recipe
Popover Ingredients
- Unbleached white wheat flour (such as King Arthur brand)
- Whole milk
- Eggs
- Butter-melted
- Salt
- Vanilla
That’s it! You only need a few simple ingredients to make these amazing fluffy rolls.
Recipe Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Grease and flour a 12 cup muffin pan. I like to use a baking spray that already has flour in it. It’s so much easier than greasing and flouring a pan and works great. In a medium-size bowl, beat the eggs slightly. Next, add all of the other ingredients to the eggs.
Beat until just smooth. Do not over-mix (very important). Fill 12 muffin cups evenly with batter.
Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. Decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 5-10 minutes more until popovers are puffed and set. They should be lightly golden brown on top. Immediately remove from pan and serve hot.
These classic popovers are best hot from the oven and SO delicious with homemade jam.
Easy Classic Popovers Recipe
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 2 cups unbleached white wheat flour such as King Arthur brand
- 2 cups whole milk room temperature
- 2 eggs warmed in a hot water bath (in the shell) for 10 minutes
- 1 tbsp butter melted
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Grease and flour a 12-cup muffin pan well (I use baking spray with the flour already in it).
- In a medium-size bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk or whisk attachment in a stand mixer.
- Add the milk and salt and beat until just smooth, scraping down the bowl after a few seconds. Do not overmix.
- Immediately fill 12 muffin cups evenly with batter.
- Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.
- Decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 5-10 minutes more until popovers are puffed and set and lightly golden brown on top.
- Immediately remove from pan and serve hot.
Nutrition
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I think you should recheck the recipe as there’s nothing to make the popovers rise. They turned out thick and hard and didnt rise like usual and I followed the directions. Also check the time for prep and cook time on top op\f recipe, says 20 hours to make and 5 hours to prep, should probably be stated in minutes. The squirrels will be eating them.
I’m sorry Becky, it looks like there was an issue with that recipe card when I did the original conversion from my old website for the time. I did make that time correction, it should have been minutes, not hours. Traditional popovers don’t have leavening ingredients, baking quickly in a hot oven. This is an old post from 2011, so it is definitely due for an update and retest. I’ll add some more helpful notes for success here.
I just retested this recipe and got a beautiful rise. I do have a few questions: what kind of pan did you use? Silicone will not work, the pan needs to conduct heat well so a metal muffin pan is best. Also, were the eggs and milk cold or room temp? That can affect the rise, as well. Making sure that the oven has reached full temp when baking them is important, too. I added a few helpful tips to avoid this issue next time.
I’ve never attempted to make popovers because I always thought I needed a special pan, thanks so much for sharing! Definitely going to try
I hope that you enjoy them as much as we do Brynn! Thanks for stopping by!